Fragrance

I don’t particularly care to wear cologne, much to the chagrin of my wife, who is a “fragrance model” at the local Dillards. She has been the Ralph Lauren representative for a couple of years now and our home is full of every Ralph Lauren product imaginable. It all smells wonderful; I just don’t particularly like wearing cologne. One of the court officials I work with often makes comments about some of the other lawyers who come into her courtroom and how you can smell them coming down the hall. They wear so much cologne that she won’t even let them use her phone because they leave their “fragrance” behind.

I often prefer a different smell – Downy fabric softener. I absolutely love the smell of Downy fabric softener. Not the new “mountain stream” scent, mind you, only the original “April Fresh” scent for me. I generally put in more than the recommended amount so that the fragrance lasts a bit longer. It reminds me of clean laundry. I have even had a couple of my coworkers comment how “clean” my clothes smell and how the aroma permeates my office, even after I’ve gone.

This reminds me of Paul’s exhortation in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.

Do we wear Christ as an aroma? When other’s come into contact with us, do they smell our fragrant offering and sacrifice to God? (Ephesians 5:1-2) Do people want to be near us because we are imitators, the very reflection, of Christ? Does the fragrance linger, even after our contact ends?

Maybe it’s time to do some more laundry.